The French Jesuit Claude Allouez celebrated the first mass beside the Nipigon River May 29, 1667. He visited the village of the Nipissing Indians who had fled there during the Iroquois onslaught of 1649-50. In the Jesuit Relations the lake is called lac Alimibeg, and was subsequently known as Alemipigon or Alepigon. In the 19th century it was frequently spelled as Lake Nepigon.

In 1683 Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut established a fur trading post on Lake Nipigon named Fort Tourette after his brother, Claude Greysolon, Sieur de la Tourette. The Alexis Hubert Jaillot map of 1685 (Partie de la Nouvelle-France) suggests that this fort was somewhere in Ombabika Bay at the northeast end of the lake where the Ombabika river and Little Jackfish river (Kabasakkandagaming) empty. (A copy of this map may be viewed at Brock University Map Library) The post remained active to the end of the French regime as part of the pays d'en haut.

On 17 April 1744, the Count de Maurepas, Minister of the Marine, informed the Canadian officials that Jean de La Porte was to be given the “fur ferme” (i.e. the profits) of Lac Alemipigon from that year forward as a reward for his services in New France.

After the Treaty of Paris (1763), the area passed into the hands of the British, and the Hudson's Bay Company expanded its trading area to include the Lake. Although it was considered to be within British North America, it was not until 1850 that the watershed draining into Lake Superior was ceded formally by the Ojibwe Indians to the Province of Canada (see Robinson Treaty, 1850, also known as the Robinson Superior Treaty). A four square mile reservation was set aside on Gull River near Lake Nipigon on both sides of the river for the Chief Mishe-muckqua. In 1871 Lake Nipigon was included in the new Thunder Bay District, Ontario.

The Township of Nipigon was incorporated in 1908. The Municipality of Greenstone (pop 5662) was incorporated in 2001 and includes Orient Bay, MacDiarmid, Beardmore, Nakina, Longlac, Caramat, Jellicoe and Geraldton.

In 1943 Canada and the United States agreed to the Ogoki diversion which diverts water into Lake Superior that would normally flow into James Bay and thence into Hudson Bay. The diversion connects the upper portion of the Ogoki River to Lake Nipigon. This water was diverted to support three hydroelectric plants on the Nipigon River. The diversion is governed by the International Lake Superior Board of Control which was established in 1914 by the International Joint Commission.

Lake Nipigon Provincial Park is located on the east side of Lake Nipigon. In 1999 the park boundary was amended to reduce the park area from 14.58 to 9.18 square kilometres (3,603 to 2,268 acres). The area was deregulated and transferred to the Government of Canada for a reserve for the Sand Point First Nation.

* Douglas, R., ed. Nipigon to Winnipeg : a canoe voyage through Western Ontario by Edward Umfreville in 1784, with extracts from the writings of other early travellers through the region. Ottawa : Commercial Printing, 1929.

Viking grave

According to Hjalmar R. Holand a viking grave was found near Beardmore at Lake Nipigon.

Planning

Canadian Coast Guard requires safety equipment for Canoes and Kayaks.

Canoes, Kayaks, Rowboats and Rowing Shells - (under 6M in Length)

One Canadian-approved personal floatation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board.

One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length.

One manual propelling device OR an anchor with not less than 15 m of cable, rope or chain in any combination.

One bailer or one manual water pimp fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel.

A sound signaling device or a sound signaling appliance.

Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset and sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility.

Possible Launch Take-Out Sites

Gull Bay (source Wilderness Adventures)

Macdairmid on SE shore (source classically whaler discussion thread)

Popular Point, high hill harbour, Orient Bay, Pijitawabik Bay and South bay access loacations are promoted by the provice Ecologiacal land use Strategy; Humboldt Bay and Ombabika bay are not being promoted.

Beadmore - boat ramp 49.605913, -88.122904

Maps

Chart #6050 “Plans in Lake Nipigon” $20 USD from West Marine (1-800-262-8464). (Tim is ordering one thru the local dealer in Seabrook)

Lake Nip Signature Site Map from Chaltrek (807-577-8848). (Tim and Bryan own this map.)

Topographical map set to provide bearings (available from Wabakimi (1-807-767-2022).